The New Globe Theatre and InCider Trading have paired together, announcing the first Cider House Blues Festival to be held later this month.
Ali Penney And The Money Makers will headline the festival, and Ali is over the moon. “I can't believe it, it's awesome! It'll be great, we'll have lots of fun,” she says. “I just want people to come to a gig and have fun and be safe, and we're going to get them to have fun. We're all real people, we've all got the same experiences and fears, that's how I feel.
“I feel that people want to come and be entertained by something real, with real stories. We all share that human spirit, that's why I like to do it. People go home with a smile on their face, and I've done my job.”
The group have had a fantastic run of awards and tours since their inception five years ago, and Ali is focused on keeping the live music scene alive. “We won best band in 2010 [at the Australian Blues Music Awards], we got together in 2009 and then won the competition [The International Blues Challenge] to go to Memphis straight away, so it was a really good start. Then we did the recording and won best band, which was awesome.
“Then in 2012 I won best artist again which was like 'wow'. Then we got four this year [at the Australian Blues Music Awards], so it's been a dream run and we hope to keep writing good songs people like and keep it original and bluesy, keeping it live, encourage people to come out. I know it's hard and expensive, people have the telly and the computer and video games, [but] my main aim is to keep people coming out every couple of months to see a good show.”
The four-piece has started putting together their next record as well, and fans can expect something new. “We've just started rehearsing our new album, and I've just done three years of tax hoping I get some money back to record. I've been really influenced by Jimmy Vaughan this last year, I got to meet him and see him play. So I think this one will be a bit more bluesy, lots of shuffles coming up. Bit of New Orleans in there, a couple of ballads and stories of life this last year. All men are bastards, that sort of vibe. There'll be some positive happy ones in there too no doubt. But that's all in the beginnings, these last couple of weeks.”
Written by Daniel Conaghan
Ali Penney and The Money Makers Dates
Thu Jun 19 - Petersham Bowling Club (Sydney)Sat Jun 21 - Lizottes Dee Why (Sydney)
Sun Jun 29 - Cider House Blues at The New Globe Theatre (Brisbane)
